The Admiral's Daughter
by L.Daniels
Summary: Fresh out of the Naval academy a young naval recruit (Raymond Reddington) joins his buddies for a few celebratory drinks at the bar on base where he ends up meeting the girl of his dreams after accidentally spilling his drink on her. But what he doesn't know is that the girl hes falling for (Elizabeth) is the admirals daughter.
1. Chapter 1

It was graduation day at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. All 237 recruits were lined up in Full Dress Whites at the helm of the USS Cambridge awaiting their names to be called. Among the more excited and proud graduates was 24 year old Raymond "Romeo" Reddington; graduating at the top of his class.

In front of them, standing at the podium was Admiral Lincoln Emerson. Probably the most intimidating man you could imagine. He stood six foot three, 230 pounds; built like a bull. But despite being terrifying, everyone kissed up to him. And not because they were afraid of him, or because he was the admiral; it was because of his daughter. I don't think anyone had ever actually seen her, but the ones who claim they have say she is the most beautiful girl they have ever seen. She was almost like a myth; the beautiful girl, always talked about but never seen. All of guys were always on the hunt for her. Trying to track her down like a pack of hungry wolves, but Ray, he found that to be a bit disrespectful so he frequently opted out of the 'hunt'. As much as he too liked woman, he wasn't for treating them like a piece of property.

* * *

After the ceremony, Raymond along with a few of his buddies went across the base to the bar to have a few drinks and celebrate. They ordered their drinks and sat down at one of the tables. They got to talking and were laughing; having a good time, when the owner walks up to their table.

"What's going on, Sam?" Ray asked, he knew the manager well. "Is there a problem?" Sam smiled and pulled a microphone out from behind her back and smiled as Ray started laughing. "No no no no no, no I'm not signing." He was embarrassed.

"Oh come on, Ray!" Sam said and soon his buddies joined her. "Hey! Who here wants to hear this lovely sailor sing?" Sam turned and shouted to the whole bar and everyone started yelling and clapping.

 _Oh my god_ "Alright." He said standing up and drinking back the last of his drink. "One song." He took the microphone from her hand and the jukebox began playing 'Somewhere Beyond the Sea'. He laughed and began stepping to the music and getting into the mood. Everyone laughed and clapped as he got ready, then he began singing.

 _Somewhere, beyond the sea_

 _Somewhere waiting for me_

 _My lover stands on golden sands_

 _And watches the ships that go sailing_

They clapped and whistled as he made his way around the bar, occasionally stopping at the pretty girls and signing to them. They loved it, and even he was having fun.

 _Its far beyond the stars_

 _Its near beyond the moon_

 _I know beyond a doubt_

 _My heart will lead me there soon_

He climbed up on one of the tables and his buddies joined him as he sang.

 _I know beyond a doubt_

 _My heart will lead me there soon_

 _We'll meet (I know we'll meet) beyond the shore_

 _We'll kiss just as before_

 _Happy we'll be beyond the sea_

 _And never again I'll go sailing_

 _No more sailing_

 _So long sailing_

 _Bye, bye sailing…_

The whole bar was in an uproar as they clapped and yelled as Ray laughed and took a playful bow and stepped down from the table.

"I think I'm ready for another drink" he said as he smiled and walked up to the bar. "Can I get a Jameson; on the rocks…thank you." She handed him his drink and just as he took it 'Aces' came up behind him and jumped onto his shoulders and his drink went all over the woman sitting at the bar beside him. "Jesus Christ Alex!" He shook his head and grabbed a handful of napkins and began to dab her dress. "I'm terribly sorry about th-" He looked up and froze for a second. _She was beautiful._ Her hair was dark and wavy. Her eyes were so unbelievably blue that they put the sea to shame. "wow…" he said under his breath. She smiled and turned a shy cheek and he quickly went back to apologizing. "I'm sorry, Alex gets a little excited sometimes." He turns around and gives Alex the stink eye then turns back to her with a smile.

"No, no. It's alright. Accidents happen, right?" she said.

"Yes….they do." He was so awestruck by her, he couldn't stop smiling. "My name's Ray." He held out his hand.

"Elizabeth" she said as she took it.

"Well can I buy you a drink?" He asked motioning to the bar.

"No, that's alright, you don't have to-"

"Please." He stopped her. "Let me buy you a drink."

"Okay." He smiled.

"What are you drinking?"

"Rum and coke" He smiled and turned to the bartender.

"Can I get a rum and coke please?"

"And a new dress, as well." Elizabeth added with a smug smile. He turned to her and laughed.

"And I a new dress…" He said quietly; not to her, not really even to himself.

"So I see you like to sing." She took a sip of her drink.

"Good god, no." he said shaking his head. "That was just….you know, I don't really know what that was." He laughed.

"Well it was good. Very impressive."

"Well thank you." He took a bow and she laughed. He could have made a thousand more stupid jokes just to be able to hear her laugh. It was just as intoxicating as the alcohol, and perhaps even more poisonous. There was just something about her.

They talked for hours. Turns out she's a Navy Brat. Her father is in the Navy and wherever he goes, she goes. She's currently studying Law at the University of Virginia; It's a long drive but she does it. She also likes to read; owes a library card to just about every library between here and UVA. She was so smart, so smart in fact she managed to graduate high school two years early. She was…incredible. After she spilt her life story, he did the same. Told her how his father was a military man and how he grew up wanting to be just like his old man. How he dropped out of high school when his mother died and joined the academy shortly after. The only reason they excepted him was because his grades were outstanding; high honors in all his classes and his teaches had nothing but wonderful things to say about him. He was a squared away kid. There wasn't much to his story, not like there was her's. But he loved that; loved that for the first time in his life he may have met a woman smarter than him.

She was just the kind of girl that got his heart racing.

* * *

At the end of the night they both had reached their limit and opted to finish out the night with a couple glasses of ice water.

"Well, it's getting late. I think it's time I get home; get to bed." She said collecting her things and putting on her coat.

"Well hold on, wait a second," he said stopping her as she headed for the door. "will I see you again?" She didn't say anything she just turned around and shrugged her shoulders as she pursed her lips into a smile and walked out the door.

Ray stood there for a moment trying to process what had just happened. Who was she? Where did she come from? Why hadn't he seen her before? And if he had, why hadn't he met her sooner? He stepped down from the bar stool and started towards the table where Aces and Hollywood were sitting. He looked up and saw that they were laughing; laughing at him.

"What's so funny?" He said almost offended.

"Do you have any idea who you were just talking to?"

"The girl; you mean Elizabeth? No why? Who is she?" He was panicked; desperate to know who this mystery girl was. Aces leaned in close and Ray listened intently. His heart sank when the words rolled off his tongue,

"That's the admiral's daughter."


	2. Chapter 2

Ray couldn't sleep that night. Nothing could put his mind to ease, all he could think about was her. Of course, it'd be his luck that he'd finally find a girl who had a brain and she turn out to be the admiral's daughter. Only him, he thought to himself. But he didn't want that to be the reason he couldn't have her. Have her, he didn't like how that sounded. He didn't want to have her, he wanted to be with her; wanted to spend what little free time he had with her. And he had no idea why. He had just met this girl and he was already so captivated. But maybe that was just it. Never in his life had he ever encountered anything quite like her. She was smart without ever being bullheaded, she was nice without ever seeming soft, and she was funny without ever being rude. She was just...a game changer. He grew up in an environment where the girls always came to him, but her; she almost seemed be uninterested in him. Like she had no need nor desire to be with anyone; that she was perfectly capable on her own. And my god, it only made him more curious.

* * *

Later that next day he scoured the base for her, looked all around town to find her. He finally spotted her coming out a Sandy's diner just a few blocks from the bar where they met. He was quite a ways away so he started running.

"Elizabeth!" He called out. "Elizabeth!"

She looked over her shoulder but continued to walk in the opposite direction.

"Elizabeth..." He lowered his voice as he caught up to her.

"It's Ray, right?." She said and he nodded.

"Do you have a minute? Can we talk?"

"I'm sorta busy. I'm actually on my way to the library."

"Well that's fine. We can talk there. I mean, if that's okay with you of course?"

He sounded desperate, but he was. He just craved her attention, just wanted to be near her; talk to her. She gave him a smile and his heart tripped.

"Alright," she said "but you better not distract me too much, I really do have work to do."

He nodded his head in understanding and followed her up the steps and into the library.

She damn near seemed to know everyone there. Saying 'hi' to people left and right. She just kept on impressing him like that.

She walked over to the criminal justice section and pulled a book from the shelf, looked it over then placed it back onto the shelf before pulling another one. As she flicked through its pages, obviously in search of something, Ray stepped around to the other side of the bookshelf to where he could see her through the small gaps between the books and the shelves and pretended to search for a book as well. She clearly was very busy and he suddenly felt like an ass for bringing himself here, insisting that she make time to talk to him. After-all, her studies were far more important than the answer to the question of whether or not she was interested in him or not.

He watched her eyes keenly scan over each page before flipping to the next. Her fingertips delicately running along the edge of each page. He could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. The thousands of gears rotating as she looked for the answer she sought. Her hair was falling onto the pages and she wrestled with it back and forth as she repeatedly brushed it behind her ear. Suddenly she looked up from the book.

"Locard's Principle!" She exclaimed; almost in the same way that Archimedes shouted 'Eureka'. She looked to her side for Ray but he wasn't there. "Ray?"

"I'm over here." She looked up and saw him through the books and laughed.

"What are you doing over there?"

"Enjoying the view." He smiled innocently and she blushed as she turned away and proceeded to carry the book over to a small table where she sat down. Ray followed her over and took a seat across from her. She had books and papers strewn about. And she quickly pulled out a notepad and began writing as if the paper were on fire and would soon disintegrate.

"So what's this 'Locards Principle'?" He asked.

He really was curious, he had no idea what she was talking about. She looked up from her notebook and thinned her eyes at him. She was surprised that he was actually interested.

"Can you explain it to me?"

She yanked a sheet of paper from her tablet and set it between them. At the center of the page she drew a rather large triangle then proceeded to write three things, one at each point. Crime scene, suspect, victim. She picked up her pen and readied it to use as a pointer to show him.

"In 1912 Dr. Edmond Locard, a growing forensic scientist, came up with the idea that no matter the crime, no matter the circumstances, the suspect, the victim, and the crime scene were connected. This meaning that the suspect could leave evidence at the crime scene that would point to the victim, the victim could leave something at the crime scene that pointed to the suspect, or the crime scene could leave something on either the suspect or the victim the put them at the scene." She explained by also drawing lines from on to the other showing how they are connected in each way. "And this idea can simply be drawn out as a triangle to show that the distribution of evidence can be distributed and received in any directional order. Now when Locard tested his theory, it became one of the most influential breakthroughs in forensic science history; even still today this concept has been key in solving some of the most wayward cases."

He understood, for the most part.

"So what would be something that the suspect could leave at the crime scene." He asked.

"Simple, things like footprints, fingerprints, blood droplets, even a fiber from their clothing."

He was fascinated by her intelligence.

"Okay, so what about the crime scene? What could it leave behind?"

He just wanted to keep her going. There was just a way that her eyes sort-of, I don't know, lit up when she was explaining it. As if she too was ultimately fascinated by the concept.

"I'm glad you asked, because this is where people often become skeptical. They don't see how a crime scene could leave traces of itself on the suspect/victim. But here's how it works- say you have a man who had stabbed, say...his wife. Okay?"

"Okay." Ray nodded his head engagingly and waited for her to go on.

"So, there's obviously going to be blood, and a lot of it, so the blood that's on the floor/walls/ceiling whatever, is also going to be on his clothing, on his hands. Understand? Another way is say he killed her in the woods. He will have mud/dirt on his shoes. And if he left footprints, and if he's stupid, which they always are, he won't even bother to clean his shoes. So, they take a mold of the print, chisel down the POI list to him,"

"Hold on, what's a POI?"

"Person of Interest. Good?"

He nodded and she went on.

"Good. Okay, so, they take custody of the shoes and wa-la. The soil sample on the soles matches that of the sample pulled from the crime scene. Ultimately placing him there and that's along with the blood stained clothes they will be certain to find, that's more than enough PC, probable cause, to put him in handcuffs. Pretty cool right?"

She looked up and Ray was smiling at her.

"What?"

A smile cracked across her lips.

He just shook his head and she let out a small chuckle. Her watch caught her eye and she quickly stood from her chair and started frantically tossing her books into her bag.

"Shit, I'm gonna be late!"

"For what?" He asked.

"Today's my dad's birthday. We're going out for dinner."

Her dad, the admiral, his commanding officer, the only thing currently keeping him from asking her out.

"I'm sorry Ray, I have to go. I promise we'll talk soon."

He nodded his head and off she went. He sat there from a second then quickly got up and began to run after her. He stopped as he reached the doors and yelled out to her,

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She stopped and turned around.

"Tell you what?"

"That your dad is the admiral."

She dropped her head and smiled at her shoes then looked up at him.

"I don't know, maybe because I thought you wouldn't want to see me again."

He shook his head and smiled

"I'll always want to see you again."

She blushed.

"Yeah?" She questioned with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Well how's Saturday night sound? We can go to Flannigan's. They've got the best fish in town."

He nodded his head and smiled.

"That sounds good."

"It's a date then."

She smiled and then turned and started back down the street.

"Wait" he stopped her again. "What time?"

"Seven" she yelled without looking back.

As soon as she was out of sight he did the subtle little arm thrust and the quiet "Yesss". He bounded down the stairs and wore that smile the whole way back to the barracks, where he would sit eagerly awaiting Saturday night.


	3. Chapter 3

When Saturday finally came around, Ray's nerves were through the roof. And not particularly because he was nervous about his date with her, but more so because he decided it was only right to tell her father, the admiral, himself that he would be the one taking his daughter out this evening. Was he afraid? Terrified. But he knew, by telling him himself, it would only greater the chances that he would earn the admiral's approval.

Asking for approval, of a date, was something Ray had never done before. And he's dated lots of girls over the years, but this one, this one mattered. And it's not that the other ones didn't, it's just she, Elizabeth, was different; it was different with her. Being around her left a stir in his stomach. The same kind of stir you feel when you're on a roller coaster and its clicking up the incline and it's just about to roll over the crest of the hill. That's what he felt. That adrenalin rush, heart racing, head lightening feeling; and he's never felt that before. She was the first.

He showered, laid out his dress blues, ate, and then got dressed. The other reason for wearing his dress blues was because he was going to be in the company of his CO. It was standard protocol to wear them. So he buttoned up his jacket, straightened his cuffs and flipped on his cover. He looked as sharp as a knife in his uniform. And he felt confident as he walked the some ten blocks to the admiral's house. He stopped at the base of the stairs leading up to the porch and took a deep breath. He shook off any remaining nervousness he had left and held his chin up. He knocked on the door and stepped back as he waiting for an answer. He knocked again and just as he stepped back the door opened and there he stood. Ray raised his hand to the brim of his cover at full salute.

"Admiral Emerson." He spoke confidently.

"At ease, Lieutenant." Ray lowered his hand and relaxed his posture. "To what do I pay the order of your presence here this evening?"

Ray swallowed hard. This was it.

"It's about your daughter sir."

Emerson thinned his eyes at him and crossed his arms.

"What about my daughter?"

"Sir, I've come here to ask your permission to take your daughter out this evening."

"On a date you mean?" His voice was stern and sharp.

"Yes sir, on a date." He clarified.

The admiral stood and looked at him a moment before he uncrossed his arms and relaxed himself as he stepped aside and held open the door. And with a smile on his face he said,

"Come on in, Ray."

He couldn't believe it.

"Thank you sir."

He stepped into the house followed as Emerson led him into the living room. He motioned for ho to have a seat and so he did. It wasn't a large home, military housing usually wasn't, but it was very neat and organized; everything he'd expect from the admiral. There were photographs all over the walls. Photographs of ships, various people lined up posing in uniform. There were also pictures of a single man accepting awards; he assumed it they must have been him. The other photographs were of Elizabeth. Her graduation picture, pictures of her riding horses and pictures of her with various family. The coffee table before the couch he sat on was made of wood and had the center of it cut out and there was a tiny ship inside the glass casing that sat flush with the face of the rest of the table and a rope framed the edge of the entire thing. It was gorgeous. There was a fireplace in the center of the main wall and on the mantel sat more awards and an old rusty anchor. It truly was a sailor's home, there was no mistaking that.

The admiral took a seat adjacent to him and sat back as he threw his arm around the back of the couch and crossed his legs.

"So tell me Ray, what's this sudden interest you have in my Elizabeth?"

Ray cleared his throat and sat forward, clasping his hands together.

"Well sir, I think it's safe to say that in all my life, I have never met anyone like your daughter before. She's brilliant in every way a person can be. She's incredibly kind and down to earth. She seems like she's got the whole world figured out, you know. And I uh…..well sir I'd be lying if I said I haven't fallen for her. I mean how couldn't you? She's incredible."

The admiral chucked and smiled as he thought about her.

"She most certainly is something else, isn't she?"

"Yes sir, she is."

"She likes to keep you on your toes." Ray laughed.

"Yes sir."

"Well I'll tell you what ray, you're smart, graduated at the top of your class, you've never gotten yourself into any trouble, and you seem to have nothing but the best intentions with Elizabeth, and it certainly shows a lot; you coming here and talking to me. Shows the type of man you are. A gentleman. And any man who has that kind of courage has my blessing."

Ray's eyes lit up and he quickly stood up from the couch and the admiral joined him and shook his hand.

"Thank you sir. I assure you, your daughter is in good hands."

"I know she is." The admiral smiled. "Just understand something, if you do anything to hurt her, ill destroy you."

Ray couldn't tell if he was being funny or if he was being serious, so he just nodded and said,

"Yes sir."

Right at that moment, Elizabeth came down the steps and turned into the living room dress in a black dress and matching heels. His heart stopped as he turned and saw her, she was absolutely stunning.

"wow." He said under his breath, but the admiral heard him and he turned and saw him standing there in awe of his daughter. And he smiled.

Elizabeth lit up at the sight of her father and Ray shaking hands.

"What's going on down here?" She asked as she stepped to her father's side and hugged him.

"Oh, Ray and I were just having a talk."

She quickly broke away from the embrace and looked her father in the eyes.

"You didn't threaten him, did you?" He laughed.

"Oh sweetie, of course I did."

Ray laughed and she briefly looked over to him before she turned back to her father and playfully gave him a punch to the arm.

"No, he's a good kid. He came here himself to talk to me; asked for my approval."

She looked over to Ray and smiled. She couldn't believe that he did that. That he did that for her…

She left her father's side and went and wrapped her arms around Ray and he returned the embrace.

"Thank you." She whispered into his shoulder. She could feel him smile.

"You're welcome."

The admiral looked on as they were totally enveloped in each other and he smiled. Then he caught himself being soft and quickly diverted to saying,

"Alright, enough of that. If you're going to do that, I don't want to see it."

They both laughed and broke away from each other and she went back over to her father and hugged him one last time and thanked him for giving his approval.

"Alright you two, get out of her. Go, have fun" he said as he shooed them out the door. "but not too much fun!" he quickly added as he narrowed his eyes at Ray.

Ray turned as smiled as he watched the admiral close the door then he turned back to Elizabeth.

"You look beautiful by the way."

"Thank you. You don't look to bad yourself." She smiled and he blushed.


	4. Chapter 4

She locked her arm around his and she turned and looked at him as they walked down the street. And perhaps that was the first time she really saw him. He had surprisingly shaggy hair for just graduating the academy. It was a golden blonde color, and she could just see the very corners of his blue eyes behind his sunglasses. He wore his cover on top of his head, and a smile so sweet on his lips. He was beautiful. She found it odd to think of a man as such, but he was; he was beautiful.

As they neared the entrance of the restaurant, he noticed a rather large puddle in front of the curb, right in Elizabeth's path. He didn't want her to step into it and risk splashing water over her long dress, plus she was wearing heels... She wasn't paying attention, she was talking about some Supreme Court case she was studying and just as she about stepped in the puddle, and before she could say a word in debate, he smoothly scooped her into his arms and stepped across the puddle, letting her back to her feet up on the sidewalk. She was speechless. She turned to him, her mouth agape.

"What?" He smiled. She just shook her head and smiled. "Very well, then. Shall we?"

He offered her his arm once more and lead her up the few stairs to the entrance. Of course, he had opened the door for her and let her walk before him as he trailed behind. As soon as she stepped into view, Ray noticed that everyone's head turned to her. The girls began whispering to their girlfriends, and the guys were reduced to mindless drones. Every eye in the room was fixated on her. She herself must have noticed, for she spoke over her shoulder to Ray,

"What's going on? What's everyone looking at?"

She honestly sounded quite concerned. Ray stepped closer to her and replied softly into her ear,

"They're looking at you, Elizabeth." She faced him with a questioning look. "How couldn't they?"

* * *

They were seated at their table and both started out with a respectable glass of Chardonnay. He was nervous beyond words, couldn't stop fighting with his hands beneath the table, and for the life of him couldn't wipe the smile off of his face. Of course in his mind he knew she must notice how clearly nervous he is, when in reality, in her mind she felt just. Sitting across from him at the table, she felt as if she was making a complete fool of herself, talking too much or too little, laughing at the wrong time, worrying she didn't make any sense of her words. They were both so blind to the simple fact that they were both, utterly and completely, infatuated with one another that they were getting themselves all worked up over nothing.

He couldn't stop looking at her. Looking at the way her eyes sparkled in the midst of the candlelight, the way she bit down on her lip when she tried not to laugh. She also did this thing where every time she swore, she'd cock her right eyebrow. As if it were almost painful to swear but some cases just called for one of the volatile words.

"Can I ask you something?" Elizabeth asked.

Ray set down his drink and sat back in his chair.

"Of course. You can ask me anything."

"What do think about Capital Punishment?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The Death Penalty, do you think it's wrong?"

"You're serious?"

"I am. Yes, I want to hear your take on it. And not because I want to agree or disagree. I simply asked based on curiosity. The subject alone fascinates me. The whole concept of killing people who have kill people to prove that killing people is wrong..." She scoffed. "I want to understand it." He smiled.

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on top the table, lacing his fingers.

"You know, you keep doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Surprising me." She smiled.

"Then surprise me." She said challenging him to hear his opinion. He laughed.

"Very well," he cleared his throat. "The concept of capital punishment is a very, to me...cruel and...unusual in a system that promises to be just the opposite. And honestly in my opinion it's not in the cruelty where the fault lies, it in the fact that we often get it wrong. Innocent people are put to death for crimes they did not commit while the one who should be on the table is walking the streets freely. And that's not a matter of opinion, on multiple occasions the court has gotten it wrong and had the wrong person imprisoned and executed. Take, Cameron Todd Willingham, for example. In 2004 he was executed for killing his three young daughters by setting the house on fire, the only thing was, he was executed on the grounds of faulty forensic evidence. The real evidence showed that in fact the fire was caused by arson. They killed the man when they in fact had scientific proof that the fire was not intentionally set. And do you know what his last words were?" Elizabeth shook her head. "Please clear my name. I did not kill my children." To this day the family is still fighting against the state of Texas for a posthumous pardon. I mean it just absolutely disgusts me. We created this system for the very purpose of Justice, but that's not what's its done. We've abused its power and it's purpose and put innocent lives to death. That's why I have to say my opinion on capital punishment is that is a perverted flaw in the criminal justice system and should not be part."

Elizabeth's jaw dropped and began to smile.

"Wow." She said shaking her head. "How did you know all of that?"

"I studied law in the academy."

"But in the library...why didn't you say anything?"

"You were so...submerged in what you were talking about...so passionate about- I didn't want you to stop."

"You knew exactly what I was talking about..." She realized. "You knew."

"I did..." He admitted.

"Nicely done." She said and he smiled. "You surprised me."

* * *

When they finally left the restaurant it was nearly midnight. They just couldn't stop talking. Back and forth and back again about cases and laws…they found true beauty in what others found repulsive- the justice system.

They stood on the curb and waited for the traffic to clear.

"I had a really nice time tonight, I feel like I really got to know you." Elizabeth said.

"And, what's the jury report?" He smiled.

"I'll get back to you on that." He laughed.

"Fair enough."

They grew silent, there was something lingering in the space between them… Ray kept stepping back and forth where he stood and dropped his gaze to his shoes.

"Ray," Elizabeth said noticing his anxiousness. "What's on your mind?"

He looked up from his shoes and met her telegenic blue eyes, he felt a rush a warmth flood his cheeks and his heart tripped over itself like a lousy hurtle runner. And to answer her question, he couldn't, not in just one sentence or in one explanation. There were millions of things on his mind and he could barely get a grasp on a single one, until he opened his mouth and finally came out with,

"I don't want to take you home just yet…." In a quiet sincere voice, "I know its late and you're probably tired and looking forward to getting back home and go to sleep but…..i don't want to let you go."

Elizabeth was quiet for some time, and that frightened him. _Way to go Ray, you fucked it up on the first date._ He thought to himself. _She probably thinks you're some freak._

"Then don't take me home." She said as she stepped closer to him and took his hand. "Where would you like to go?"

"We could go back to my house for a drink? I…I mean…..I didn't want that to sound…I-"

"That sounds lovely." She said

"Yeah?" He smiled.

"Yeah."

"Great."

* * *

Ray fumbled with his keys as he unlocked the door, opening it then steeping aside to let her through first. He flicked on the light as he set his keys in the bowl on the table and took off his jacket and his cover and set them on the hooks on the wall right inside the door. She set her purse down on the table beside his keys and stepped out of her heels and began wandering about the small home. All of the naval recruits were issued small homes on base to give them some privacy and also the opportunity to have a place their spouse/kids could live if they were to have either. But since Ray was just a young man himself, no girlfriend, and no living family, it was just him inside these walls. Looking throughout the house however, you'd never now it was a young naval officer who lived here. All throughout the house, on the floor, scattered on tables were manuscripts to screenplays, unfinished letters and random scribblings on parchment. And also on the table sat a ROYAL typewriter. _He was a closet writer…_ Liz ran her hand along the edge of the table as she looked over her shoulder at Ray who sheepishly followed along as she made her way through the house.

Aside from the manuscripts and letters, the house was filled to the brim with books. Books on shelves, books on tables, books splayed open on the floor. There were books on everything. World renowned theories such as John Nash's 'Game Theory' and Steven Hawking's 'The Grand Design'. Other works included classics by Hemingway and Steinbeck, Lawrence and Emerson. He must have had a pension for the more morbid side of poetry and literature as well because he also had an assortment of works by Edgar Allan Poe on his shelves. His collection of literature was more than impressive.

As they stepped into the living area of the house, Elizabeth walked to the center of the floor and picked of one of the books that lay open and took it back to the couch where she took a seat and began flipping through its delicate pages. The couch she sat on was the newest looking thing in the antique shop of a house. It was a rich, milk chocolate colored leather couch. However new it looked, it still had a sort of weathered and worn comfort to it. Beside the couch sat an 'apple crate' that overflowed with knit blankets. On the other side of the couch was an old distressed tiny wooden table. Atop the table sat a lamp, an old black rotary phone and an ash tray. Directly in front of them, in the wall, was a grand fireplace and between them sat a military storage trunk that he was undoubtably using as a coffee table. Liz had never seen anything like it, and however strange she thought it to be, it just fit the rest of the house.

Ray took a seat beside her on the couch and watched as she flicked through the books pages. He peered down at the cover and saw that she had picked up one of his very favorites, it was a book of poems by Edgar Allan Poe. He couldn't help but smile as her eyes roamed over each page before turning to the next. She came to a page and she stopped. He could see that she was reading the poem because she followed along with her lips. She smiled and shook her head.

"wow…" she said quietly. "This is beautiful."

"What is it?" He asked intrigued by what had caught her eye and her heart.

"Annabel Lee." She said. "Do you know it?"

"But our love was stronger by far than the love of those who were older than we," He began reciting from memory. "Of many far wiser than we." Liz looked away from the book and over to him. He was resting his head over the back of the couch, his eyes were closed… "and neither the angels in heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea could ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee."

She closed the book audibly and he opened his eyes and turned his head towards the source of the sound. She set the book on the trunk and sat back on the couch, hugging the arm of it and turning her body to face him. They were practically as far apart as one could possibly be on that couch, yet there was a great closeness in the space between them.

"You keep doing that, you know?" She said smiling.

"What?"

"Surprising me." He smiled

"Well," He said. "I hope I continue to."

"Me too." She replied.

Ray got up and fixed himself and her a drink and came back to the couch. He handed her the glass and as soon as he sat down her legs found a home in his lap. At first he was stifled, he didn't know what to do. Then he quickly realized that he was thinking far too much and simply relaxed and let his arm rest over top of them.

"Nobody knows that you write," she said. "do they?" Ray shook his head and lifted his glass to his lips.

"No." He replied. "Nobody's even ever been in here…just you."

"What makes me so special?"

"You're different."

"How so?"

"You know, that's something I'll probably be wondering for the rest a my life." He said. And think I'm okay with that"

"It's not healthy, spending your life chasing after enigmas…"

"I'm not chasing an enigma," He said. "I'm chasing you. And I know it's worth it…you're worth it."

* * *

After a few drinks, the night grew longer and Elizabeth's eyes grew heavier. Ray watched from across the couch as her eyes fluttered with each breath she drew. Desperately trying to keep themselves open…but they soon could no longer, and she fell fast asleep, her head rested on the arm, and her legs on his lap. He smiled and watched her for a moment before he carefully lifted her legs from his lap and slipped out from under her and stood up beside the couch. He walked over and retrieved her glass from the table, along with his own and took them out to the kitchen where he rinsed them and placed them in the sink. When he came back in he waited a few moments longer before gently lifting her from the sofa and into his arms. At the very sense of his warmth, she nuzzled her face into the space behind his ear and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He felt such comfort in her embrace and in her soft breaths into his neck. He could feel her heart beat gently into his chest and with each heavenly beat all of his fears crumbled.

He made it up the stairs and down the hall where he quietly pushed open the door to his bedroom and walked to the edge of the bed. As he leaned down, her face brushed softly across his as he lowered her down onto the cool sheets and her arms fell lifelessly from behind his neck. He stretched across her and reached to the other side of the bed and pulled the sheets over top of her. He brushed the hair from her face and then turned to walk away when he felt her hand reach out and touch his arm. He stopped and turned around to her.

"Don't go…" She said barely in whisper. "Stay with me."

He looked down at the floor. He wanted to stay... But he thought it wouldn't be right. She had had a few drinks, she may do something she'll regret in the morning, something she couldn't take back. And he respected her far too much, not just as a lady, but as a person.

"I can't…" He said and walked away.

He paused in the doorway as he grabbed the doorknob. He turned and looked at her one last time.

"Goodnight, Elizabeth." He said and then lowered his voice to a whisper. "My Annabel Lee….." And closed the door.

He didn't see, but just as he closed the door, she opened her eyes. _She heard him_

* * *

Elizabeth came down the stairs the next morning to find Ray awake, sitting at his typewriter with a cup of coffee. He mustn't have heard her come down because when he saw her step into the room she seemed to have startled him.

"Oh my, Elizabeth, you scared me." He said getting up from the table. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Yes, please" she said and he disappeared into the kitchen.

She sat down in his chair at the typewriter. She laughed at the mess of paper strewn about the surface, then she looked at the paper protruding out from the top of the typewriter.

 _Watching her eyes flutter as they grew heavy,_

 _Hearing her breaths grow softer and softer until finally the last of the light escaped her eyes, feeling her heart beat against mine,_

 _Feeling her breath against my neck…_

 _Holding her in my arms and listening to her whisper_

" _stay with me."_

 _It was in the small spaces of those moments where I fell madly in love with her._

 _One week._

 _That's all it took._

 _That's all it took for me to fall in love with her._

 _Mom, I wish you could see her._

 _She's beautiful._

 _The most beautiful thing I've ever seen,_

 _and she doesn't even know it._

 _She has no idea how beautiful she is and I only hope that one day I'll be able to show her._

 _The way dad showed you._

 _She's the one…_

 _I love her._

Ray walked back into the room with her coffee and he froze as he saw her sitting at the typewriter. She turned around to him and a tear began to roll down her cheek. He set the mug down on the table and she stood up and fell into his arms.

"I should get going," she said pulling away from his embrace. "My dad's going to be worried."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Do you need a ride? I can give you a ride?"

She wiped her eyes.

"No, no. I'll be fine." She tried to smile, but it wasn't convincing. "Thank you, for the coffee."

She went and collected her things at the door and he watched, heartbroken from the table. And then she was gone.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he closed his eyes. He shook his head. _What have you done._

He looked at the typewriter and shook his head, and looked away. But something caught his eye, he quickly looked back at the paper, and sure enough, something was there. He pulled the paper free from the machine and there, right below the last line he had typed, was a new line…a line that his hand had not typed.

 _I love you too…_

His mouth fell open and he looked towards the door. He dropped the paper down onto the table and ran out door and into the street. He looked around and he could see her…

"Elizabeth." He said to himself and he started running again. "Elizabeth!"

She faintly heard her name being called and she turned around and saw that it was him; running down the street in pajama pants and a tee shirt.

"Ray." she whispered.

He caught up to her and tried to catch his breath, but he couldn't.

"Ray, what are you doing?"

"Elizabeth, there's something I need to tell you…"

And just like that, he kissed her.

Everyone surrounding them, stopped what they were doing and started clapping.

"I know," she said. "I love you too."


	5. Chapter 5

Elizabeth walked into the door and was immediately greeted by her father who did not look very pleased to have her waltzing in through the door at this time of morning when she should have been home last night.

"Care you tell me where you were last night?" He said sternly.

"I was with Ray…"

"Mmhmm. My understanding of it was that you two were going out to dinner and then you were coming home. There was no mention of a slumber party."

"I swear, nothing happened." She pleaded. "We were up talking and having drinks and I just fell asleep…"

There was a long silence, and then the admiral spoke and his expression quickly went from disappointed to proud.

"I know," he said.

Liz quickly lifted her head and met his eyes, she was confused.

"What do you mean you know?"

"Raymond called me last night." He said "Told me that you had fall

en asleep and that, with my permission, he'd bring you home first thing in the morning. He gave me his word. Which then brings me to wonder, why _didn't_ he bring you home this morning?"

Liz shook her head.

"I told him I didn't want him to. I told that I'd be fine getting home on my own."

The admiral saw the sadness and guilt flood her eyes.

"You love him." He said sincerely. "And you ran."

Liz looked at him and he smiled.

"You remind me so much of your mother. She was damn near terrified of falling in love."

"Why?" she asked

"I haven't a clue; spent the majority of my life trying to figure that out. Funny thing is, the majority of the time I spent wondering- I was married to her." Liz laughed as did he. "Sweetheart, what I'm saying is that, it's okay to be afraid. Just don't let fear get the best of you. Raymond is a good man, and a good man for you. And you know me, I don't say that about anyone, especially someone who has an interest in my daughter, but he's different." He said. "I mean you had been drinking and passed out on the couch, any other guy would have taken advantage of you, but what does he do? He calls me and then carries you up to sleep in his bed while he sleeps on the couch. He's not like them other boys, Elizabeth. And I think you know that."

Liz nodded.

"I do."

"Then what are you doing here?" He asked with a smile. "Go get him."

Liz smiled and ran into his arms and hugged him so tight he feared his eyes might just pop out of his head. She kissed him on the cheek and was out the door.

* * *

Ray was sitting on the sofa, an unlit cigarette between his teeth, a cup of coffee still steaming beside him on the table and a book in his hand when he heard a knock at the door. He hadn't been expecting any company and was surprised when he had heard the noise. Figuring it was nobody important, a mobile sales-rep or something, he closed his book and without removing the cigarette from his mouth, went and answered the door.

 _It was Elizabeth_

He quickly removed the cigarette from his mouth and smiled.

"Elizabeth." He said calmly. "It's lovely to see you again." She smiled. "Would you like to come in?" She nodded her head and he opened the door further and held it open as she walked into the house.

She walked into the living room and picked up his book as she sat on the couch and for some strange reason, it made him feel happy. Like she was comfortable here, like she felt at home…

"You know, I really wish you wouldn't smoke, it's not good for you…" she said as she flipped through the pages.

"I don't smoke." He said and she turned to him with a curious look on her face. "I haven't smoked in almost two years."

"You had a cigarette in your mouth, just now, when you answered the door."

"I did." He confirmed. "I have a tendency to bite my lips when I write or when I'm trying concentrate on something, I was tired of bloody lips so I bite on the cigarette instead. I don't light them."

She smiled and shook her head.

"You're a very strange bird," she said and he smiled.

"The strangest."

She closed the book and set it beside her.

"Would you like to dance with me?" He asked.

She looked at him and saw that he was very serious; he wanted to dance with her.

"Sure," She said so softly that it seemed she merely said it to herself.

He smiled and held out his hand. She placed her fingers in his palm and he gently closed his hand as he slowly brought her close to him.

"I don't know how to dance…." She said as she dropped her head, embarrassed.

He lightly lifted her chin with his hand.

"Then I will show you." He said softly as he lifted her and rested her feet on the tops of his.

"But there's no music." She said and he smiled sweetly.

"But my dear, you are wrong." He whispered. "Listen to your heart; listen to the music that it plays just for you."

His feet began softly gliding across the wooden floor and she allowed her head to fall onto his shoulder and she closed her eyes.

"But it doesn't play for me..." She said softly. "It plays for you…"

And just like that, all of her worries and all of her fears were laid to rest within his chest, and all of her doubt was swept away with every step. And slowly she drifted off under the warmth of his breath.

They danced and they danced, until there was no more light and nothing but stars in the sky.

* * *

All she could feel were the cotton sheets and soft lips that kissed her skin. There was a dim light that came in through the window and lay upon his back and rest upon her cheek. Together they cast beautiful shadows that danced along the wall; painting a mural that that room would always know.

People dreamt of a love this this, a love like theirs, it was something that only seemed to live within the pages of a fairytale, but there they were, writing a story of their own. A story written in entangled hands and messy hair, translated by the moon. A story only they would understand, a story only they would read.

"Marry me…" He proposed.

She softly placed a hand upon his cheek and caressed his lip with her thumb and he turned into her hand and kissed her palm.

"Marry me….." He whispered into her hand.

"You're crazy."

"Perhaps." He paused and brushed a piece of fallen hair behind her ear. "I am so in love you with you…"

She looked at him and she took a deep breath. They were tangled in a mess of sheets and soft voices.

"I love you too."

"Then say yes." She laughed and he smiled.

"Ray, this is madness."

"You are my madness…" She leaned up and kissed him. "Marry me."

"No." she whispered.

His eyes sunk and he felt his heart fall into his stomach.

"We're not ready," she said. "Ray, I haven't even finished school yet…" He pouted his lip and nodded his head.

"You're right." He smiled, trying to cover up the obvious pain in his heart. "That was foolish of me, Lizzie. I-"

"What was that?" She said softly as a smile crept across her lips, cutting him off. He was confused.

"What?" he questioned.

"You've never called me that before…." He smiled.

"Do you want to bake something?" Elizabeth laughed and then looked over at the clock on the table.

"It's four in the morning."

"So, it's plenty early enough to make a mess of the kitchen."

She smiled and shook her head like he was insane…and maybe he was.

"Come on; don't make me drag you out of this bed, because I will."

"You don't scare me." She said

"No?" He lowered himself, inches from her face. "Well you scare me." She smiled.

"Alright!" She laughed. "Let's go make a mess."

The kitchen was but a small room, besides that bathroom it was the smallest in the house. With a little stove and a little refrigerator, it was the perfect fit. Unlike that rest of the home, the kitchen was quite orderly. Every cup, dish and bowl had a place and none of the cabinets were too empty or too stuffed. On the countertops there was an old coffee machine, a newspaper from a few days prior, and an array of notepads with random scribblings on them. On the stove top sat a single kettle that still contained some liquid. The refrigerator was littered with newspaper clippings, scraps of paper with dates written on them, and photographs of several different people throwing an arm around Ray. There was even one photograph of an old woman kissing him on the cheek as he blushed. The sight of the photo instantly put a strange warm feeling in her stomach.

Neither one of them had any clue as to what they were doing. But I guess that just made it all the more fun.

Ray pulled a cookbook out from his bookshelf came back into the kitchen.

"So what shall we make?" He said searching for a recipe.

"Can I see that?" Elizabeth asked as she extended her hand.

"Yeah, sure."

He handed it to her and she opened it up, flipped a page and then tossed it over her shoulder onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" He laughed.

"Forget about a recipe," She said. "Let's just make it however we want." He smiled.

"Alright, as you wish. No recipe."

Liz dug through the cabinet for a mixing bowl and finally found one. She set it up on the counter and beside it Ray placed a bag of flour, sugar, and a small bottle of vanilla.

"Were going to need measuring spoons." Liz suggested.

"Behind you, second drawer on the left."

"So what exactly are we making?" She asked as she placed the spoons on the counter.

"How about some chocolate chip cookies? Keep it simple."

"Mmmm yes!" She said.

"Well alright then. Chocolate chip cookies it is."

They were having so much fun. Every time shed go to pour the flour or sugar into one of the measuring cups, shed spill it everywhere and end up getting more flour on herself than she did in the bowl. Ray couldn't stop laughing and as payback she chased him around the kitchen, throwing flour at him. And soon they were in a powdered white mess on the floor.

When the cookies finally made it into the oven, it was a miracle. They actually didn't look half bad when they took them out, they looked rather good. They both picked up one and they tried them together. Watching each other's reactions was priceless. Her eyes widened while he scrunched his noise and squinted his eyes, then after making vigorous eye contact as they made ridiculous faces, they both burst into uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

They found themselves back on the sofa in the living room just as the sun was about to come up. She laid on top of him, her head rest on his chest and her legs around his. He was visually tired, but she wasn't. She was wide awake and he could barely keep his eyes open. She could hear his breathing begin to soften, and she could feel his heart beat begin to slow. And soon enough, he was sleep. She turned her body and laid, arms crossed, on his chest and watched him as he sleep. She couldn't help but smile…he was so precious in sleep. He did this cute thing with his lip, where the bottom one would almost quiver every time he exhaled.

As she lay there, listening to his breathing and feeling the soft beats against her chest, she too, soon began to drift off to sleep. And just as she did, she was awoken by an ungodly noise.

 _He snores. And he snores with authority._

Her eyes shot open and instead of waking him up; telling him to stop or to be quiet; she just laid there and listened to him. And for some strange reason she couldn't fathom, in that moment, listening to him snore…she had never felt so in love. In love with everything he was, she was totally and completely captivated by him. She then wondered if she had made the right decision in saying no to his proposal. She did love him, she did. There was no mistaking that. She loved him. But they were young and naïve to think that getting married only after knowing each other a short while. And if it was meant to be, what difference would it make to wait and get married later when they had everything figured out. There was no doubt in her mind that they could make it together. They could build a life together and one day even have a family. It had only been a week and she could see the house, the minivan, the dog… she could see them having all of that. It was just different with him. It's just that now, with the way things were, it simply wasn't the time for it, and even though he may not have said it, he understood that as well. So she trusted, no matter what she wanted now, she was making the right decision. She relaxed and watched as the first of the morning light began to dance across his lips and play upon his eyelashes.

After an hour or so, Ray slowly began to open his eyes and much to his pleasure, Elizabeth was the first thing he saw.

"Good morning," His voice was low and gravelly.

"Good morning, sleepy head."

"Uhhhhhhh, what time is it?" He yawned.

"Just after seven."

"Oh good, so I wasn't out long?"

"No," She assured him "About an hour or so." He nodded his head and yawned once more.

"I need some coffee."

They got up and started a pot of coffee on, and while they waited, Ray went to the door and got the morning paper.

"So what's the plan for today?" She asked as they sipped from their mugs.

"Well, I actually have to run back over to the base. There's some sort of exterior mission briefing this afternoon for the thirty-seventh fleet. I have to be there because I'm the intelligence officer in charge of the briefings." He replied.

"So does this mean you'll have to go on the mission as well? Will you have to leave?" she said quietly, afraid of the answer.

He paused. Thinking about how he wanted to phrase it just so as not to scare her.

"Depends," He said. "I usually wouldn't have to, but it's different this time. The threat is significantly more hostile and were going to need every body we can get."

She set down her mug and clenched her jaw.

 _She was angry._

"You knew this whole time, didn't you?" She said. "You knew that you were leaving and you didn't tell me!"

"Elizabeth, please. I didn't know how to tell you."

"Bullshit!"

"You know what you're right," He said. "It is bullshit. I didn't want to tell you."

Her anger quickly faded into something else, something she couldn't describe with an emotion.

"I couldn't tell you…" His voice cracked as her fought to keep his emotions at bay. "Elizabeth, how do you tell the woman that you love that you're leaving and you don't know when you'll be back…"

She could see it in his eyes that having to tell her this was killing him, and she couldn't look at him any longer.

"I have to go…" She said as she stepped away from the counter and headed for the door.

"Elizabeth, please…."

She grabbed her coat from the hook, and then turned around to face him. She opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't. And she was gone.

 _She couldn't say goodbye to him._

Ray stood there, alone, in the hallway with nothing but the lingering smell of her on his skin and stared at the door for what felt like years…


	6. Chapter 6

He stood under the facet as the water showered onto his back. His hands were pressed flat against the tile in front of him and his head was bowed.

He was encased in a haze of steam and anger…he could barely breathe. The water magnified the lingering smell of her perfume on his skin and the sweet smell laid in his pores like a filth and set in like a fever. But he didn't move. He stood there and let it devour him. All he could see was her walking out of that door…she was so upset. And it was all his fault.

And then he snapped.

His fist flattened against the tile, cracking it. He paused for a moment to take a breath before he brought his hand to his face. The blood ran with the water in streams down his arm and then dripped onto the tile between his feet.

It hurt…it hurt a lot, but the pain in his hand would never compare to the pain he felt in his chest.

He turned around and rested his back against the cracked tile and tilted his head back, allowing the water to blur and muffle out any surrounding sound in the room. He should've told her. If he had told her, he wouldn't be here right now. He slowly slid down the wall until he was finally sitting on the floor. He rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands, and for the first time in years, he cried.

By noon, on July 14, the entire 37th fleet was ready to ship out. They all lined up in rows and together, with the town waving them on and loved ones saying their last goodbyes, and they boarded their new home for the next 14 months, The U.S.S. Cambridge.

It had only been a few hours that he had last spoken to Elizabeth, he stopped by the house before he left to say goodbye to her, but she didn't answer the door. He thought that was he way of saying goodbye. Little did he know, she didn't answer the door because she went to the barracks to see him. And if that wasn't crazy enough, their cars passed each other on his way back to the barracks…they just missed each other.

Raymond lifted his bunk and began going through his bag. He folded his clothes, stacked his books, and organized his razor and toothbrush all in the small space underneath his mattress. He reached into his bag and grabbed the last thing at the very bottom…a carton of cigarettes. He took the box in hand and looked at it for a moment. He swallowed hard and tightened his jaw, he never thought something as simple as a cigarette would make him think of her…

He tapped the pack against the palm of his hand and opened the lid, pulling one out and placing it between his teeth. He closed his bunk and headed up to the deck.

"You got a light?"

The sailor reached into his pocked and handed Ray a zippo.

"Thank you."

Ray lit his cigarette and tried to hand it back to the guy but he waved it away.

"Keep it." He said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I don't need it no more."

Ray shrugged his shoulders and slid the lighter into his pocket.

"I'm Raymond, by the way."

The sailor accepted his hand.

"Ronnie."

"Its nice to meet you, Ronnie."

He nodded and looked back out at the water.

"So tell me, why does a guy who clearly smokes…" Ray gestures to the box rolled into Ronnie's t-shirt sleeve. "…not need a lighter?"

"My lady doesn't like me smoking. Told her I wouldn't this time around. And I can't smoke if I don't have a lighter."

Ray felt like someone had told Ronnie to say that. It was as if he knew about Elizabeth and he was rubbing it in his face bringing up the cigarettes. But he knew how crazy that was, there's no way he could possibly know. Still, it unsettled his stomach.

"So why keep the cigarettes then?" Ray asked.

"Even if I can't smoke 'em, I can still stick one between my teeth when I'm bugging out. Takes the edge off, you know?"

"Yeah." Ray said. "I know exactly what you mean."

Ray takes a drag of his cigarette and holds it in for a minute, feeling the heat fill his chest before blowing a perfect stream of smoke into the wind.

"So where exactly is this tin can taking us?" Ronnie asked.

"Africa."

"Africa? Why the hell does the Navy need to be in Africa?"

"The Navy doesn't." Raymond says. "I do."

"Oh. I get it!" So you're the hot shot." Ray laughs. "You're the intelligence officer who's going to bring peace to a nation at war."

"Yeah…something like that." He smiles.

Ray didn't sleep in his bunk that night, instead he got comfortable in the netting stretched between two shipping crates carrying ammunition up on the deck. He laid with his jacket rolled up behind his head and his ankles crossed with his hands laced together at his chest. He was nursing a cigarette and staring up at the stars. He had never really looked at the stars before. There were so many. Big ones and small ones, bright ones and dull ones. They were all so beautiful, but there was one that was the biggest and the brightest. Polaris. The North Star. For years sailors have found their way home by simply following that single star. As he looked up at it, he felt a warmth within his chest, and this time it wasn't the cigarette. It was her. When he looked at that star, he saw her. She was his north star…she was his way home.

That next morning he woke up and went straight to the bathroom with a razor and clippers. It was time he cut his unruly locks. He wanted to look fresh and sharp for when they arrived at the cape, he wanted to be taken seriously and he knew that wasn't going to happen with his shaggy hair. Pass after pass, his long hair fell into the sink and onto the floor. He didn't trim it to short, not the normal 'crew cut' either. He left it slightly longer on top as well and then with a little bit of water, ran his fingers through it and gave it some texture. He hadn't shaved in a few days either, so he lathered on the cream and cleaned up his face. He didn't shave it completely off, just cleaned it up and squared everything off. He splashed some water onto his face and looked in the mirror as he ran his hand across the outline of his jaw. He felt fresh and clean and he looked just. He put his razor back under his bunk and headed up to the bridge.

They were to arrive in Cape Town by noon tomorrow so there wasn't much to do other than sit and pass the time. Some of the guys set up tables and played cards or cleaned their guns, while others simply took the spare time and got some much needed sleep. Ray however, sat on top the bridge deck with a cigarette and his typewriter.

He found it odd how much easier it was to write when you were in pain rather than when you were happy. One of the greatest writers of all time, Ernest Hemingway once said,

 _There's nothing to writing really, you just sit down at a typewriter and bleed._

Ray was bleeding. The words came out of his fingertips like an overfilled fountain pen. His fingers moved along the keys with such grace and purpose that it looked as if he were playing some melody of tears on a piano.

The sun was hot and the sky was blue and Ray was in love. He laid on his back and stared up at the sky. The golden sun kissed his skin and burned almost as hot as her skin against his. The blue sky was nearly the each same color as her eyes and that burned just the same. Everything reminded him of her. Like the world wouldn't allow him to forget the girl who's dress he ruined. The girl with the silky brown hair and magnetic blue eyes. The girl who gave him a reason.

He closed his eyes and tried to hear her voice, little did he know he didn't have try very hard or try at all for that matter. For every time he closed his eyes her voice echoed inside his mind. Even if he wanted to fix things, there was no ignoring the hindrance of the 14 months that now stretched before them. They would both just have to wait it out and go from there.

That next morning, they dropped anchor a few miles off the coast and rode in on zodiacs to the shore where they were met by Akachi Lahom, the leader of the resistance movement.

"Captain Lahom, Lieutenant Raymond Reddington."

Raymond extended his hand in greeting and Lahom accepted.

"Lieutenant, Thank you for coming. Your support means everything."

The village was small and run down. Their houses were constructed of sticks and grass with mud as the mortar. There were animals running around everywhere, pigs, chickens, goats. The smell of dirt and filthy animals permeated the air and it was hard not to gag each time you breathed. These people were living in complete filth, barely any food, rags as clothes, but you know what Ray saw as he looked around at the people? They were smiling. Despite living in poverty, fighting a war, they were smiling. The kids were kicking around a soccer ball in their bare feet and their parents we cleaning their clothes in wash buckets. He'd never seen anything like it. These people had nothing except something to fight for- their freedom. And that was very simply the only reason they needed to be happy. They had something to fight for… and in a way, so did he.

Lahom walked him over to a small part of the village where one of the soldiers was playing with the children. He yelled something in African dialect that Raymond didn't understand and the man turned around and walked over to them.

"Yes sir." The man answered as he came to Lahom's side.

The man was rather tall and muscular, but he had a very soft, calm voice.

"This is Lieutenant Raymond Reddington. He will be your cantact for the next 14 months."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Raymond said shaking his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lieutenant."

"I'll leave you guys to it then." Lahom looked to his man and said, "Be sure to show him around the rest of the village and take him to where he'll be staying."

The man nodded his head.

"Yes sir."

Lahom walked away and the man lead Raymond along. Once he showed him around the rest of the village, he walked him over to the camp where he'd be staying. It wasn't much, just a small stick forged hut with a grass roof, but it was five stars compared to what the rest of the village was sleeping in. The man gave him a blanket and wash dish and Raymond thanked him.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant. If you need anything else, just say the word."

"Yes, one thing." Raymond said and the man listened intently. "You and I are going to be spending quite a decent amount of time together, so, please, call me Raymond."

"Yes, Raymond." The man replied and Ray chuckled.

"And what shall I call you?" Ray questioned.

"Dembe."

"Dembe." Ray nodded. "Alright, Dembe. I think you and I are going to be great friends someday, you know that?"

"Yes Raymond." Ray smiled.

"So." He stared. "You fellas got any beer around here?"

Dembe smiled.

"Follow me."

The sun was far gone and Raymond and Dembe were plopped down beside the fire tipping back bottle after bottle. It was near the point where they were both about five beers in that they started to loosen up, especially Raymond who, even in the haze of drunkenness, had only one thing on his mind- Elizabeth.

"I really screwed up with this one, Dembe."

"Do you love her?"

"Like the moon loves the sun."

"You will get her back." Dembe assured him. "I promise you. She will come back."

"Yeah…" Ray smiled but it quickly faded. "I'm not so sure I deserve a girl like her."

"Maybe not." Dembe replied and Raymond looked over at him. "But you don't deserve this either. You deserve to be happy."

Ray nodded his head and suddenly began to laugh.

"I asked her to marry me."

Dembe began to chuckle.

"I don't think it had even been a week and I asked her to marry me."

"And she said no." Dembe concluded with a smile.

He nodded his head and smiled.

"And she said no."

"You deserved that one."

Ray laughed.

"Yeah, I probably did."

The first few months were easy. It was nothing more than a whole lot of sitting around and waiting for the worst to happen. It became almost like a game, long…repetitive, even a little tedious at times, but I guess that's just how it works sometimes. Raymond and Dembe became quite close, just as Raymond predicted. There was nowhere that Red went that Dembe didn't follow. We are brothers now. Dembe would say.

The worst part of it was, Dembe was smart and, with the proper schooling, had true potential to do with it whatever he chose…but here…there was no chance for him here. He needed to come back to America with Raymond. Even after Raymond had brought it up to him, Dembe was hesitant. He wanted to go to school…but he felt it would be selfish of him to leave the village and leave everyone and the only world he ever knew behind. In the end however, he agreed. But that was just the first step. In order for Dembe to be able to go to school in America, he first had to become a citizen or at least get the proper clearance to stay for the term of his education…and that would take time and money that he didn't have. However, Raymond was more than willing to help him in every way that he could.

Over the course of the next few months, aside from trying to piece back together a country broken in two, Raymond was hard at work constructing a strategy and a plan as to how he was going to make all of this work. When he could, he made phone calls to the right people, including the head of the US Embassy. He made the right connections and convinced the right people and finally got the approval for Dembe to return home with him to America. When Raymond told him the good news, he was in tears.

"Thank you my brother. I am forever in debt to you."

A few months later, a SAT call came in for Raymond. His heart fell into his stomach when he was handed the phone and his eyes lit up, he thought it was Elizabeth…

He answered the phone and with a smile on his face he was just about to say 'hello' but a man on the other end interrupted him. And quickly his smile faded into something much for morbid. Dembe watched as Raymonds eyes sank and his jaw clentched. He brought the phone away from his ear and turned it off.

"Raymond…what is it?" Dembe asked. "Is it Elizabeth?"

Ray shakes his head.

"Aces is dead." He says. "Had a seizure in his bunk, fell and broke his neck."

Dembe didn't understand. He didn't know who that was, but it was clear that it was somebody rather close to Raymond.

"He was a friend of yours." Dembe stated.

"Yeah. A good friend." He said quietly.

"I am sorry, Raymond. Is there anything that I can do?"

He thought for a moment while he remembered his friend, and then nodded his head.

"Actually yes, there is." Raymond said. "How good are you with an ink spike?"

Dembe just nodded his head. He led him back to his camp and told him to have a seat. It took about an hour of careful hands, but he did it.

"Okay." Dembe said. "It's done."

Raymond looked down at his right shoulder and saw the black spade. _The Ace of Spades._ A quiet sad smile shaded his lips.

"Thank you, Dembe." Ray laid a hand on Dembe's shoulder and he nodded back.

They only had one month left to go and they would be home. The void is Ray's chest tightened and so did Dembe's. This was it…for both of them.


End file.
